


Walking With Jäger

by Han502653



Series: Walking with Jäger [3]
Category: Girl Genius (Webcomic)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:42:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23672509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Han502653/pseuds/Han502653
Summary: Zeetha didn’t make the decision on the spot. She stayed with the circus for a few more months but with each town and village ended in failure, she grew more despondent.She needed a change of scenery -- So she takes one.Or, Zeetha leaves the Circus and finds herself traveling with a different set of companions: The Jäger
Relationships: Olga & Zeetha Daughter of Chump, Yeti & Zeetha Daughter of Chump, Zeetha Daughter of Chump & Jenka (Girl Genius), Zeetha Daughter of Chump & The Boyz
Series: Walking with Jäger [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1700314
Comments: 31
Kudos: 59





	Walking With Jäger

Zeetha didn’t make the decision on the spot. She stayed with the circus for a few more months but with each town and village ended in failure she grew more despondent. They were leaving the mountains entirely soon and that made her feel worse. She rather doubted she was anywhere near close to home but even so—her home was a canyon in a mountain—no plains would lead her there. Sure someone might know about Skifander and that person could be anywhere—she knew four people that should be here somewhere—but the chance of that was so small... and that was usually where she made herself stop thinking and did exercises and kata’s until she could pass out.

It was getting harder and harder to stop thinking, and harder and harder to pass out after she was too exhausted to do more than flop onto her bed. Olga tried to help as did Yeti and Embi in one way or another but their words felt more and more flat with each passing week.

And to her ever living annoyance Oscur’s felt more and more real. He and his group were driving her insane. The fact that most of the circus listened or ignored them without a word made her feel horribly alone in a crowd.

She loved Olga and Yeti but she couldn’t keep staying here or she’d never recover. She remembered this descent before though the circumstances were very different. She needed a change of scenery.

So she went to Master Payne and told him she could take them to the next decent-sized city where they could find a replacement and then she needed to leave. He was sad to hear it, told her she always had a place here, and when the day came gave her a hefty amount of coin to take with her. Far more than she had ever expected.

The Countess had given her a hug and some different elixirs and other medicines with labels to take with her just in case. Embi had waved her off with words of wisdom she realized she would miss. Olga and Yeti had seen her off—sad but trying to not let it show which she managed to lessen when she promised to visit when they were both in the area.

And with that, she walked into the wastelands and less traveled roads with a mission.

Over the next year and a half, Zeetha ended up learning a lot about Jäger. For the most part, it wasn’t that they told her as much as what she could see. They had an odd honor system—for instance they wouldn’t steal unless a Heterodyne or general had told them they were raiding and instead would challenge the owner of whatever they wanted to a fight or occasionally other challenges or games and that was when they simply didn’t have the coin to buy what they wanted.

They had incredible senses, though it, like many things with them, varied Jäger to Jäger. Some had better hearing, other’s sight, and other’s smell though they all could smell a Heterodyne—that was different apparently.

They were also giant goofs. Extremely dangerous giant goofs but goofs none the less.

She had met a good handful of them—perhaps twenty—and the ones she saw the most were Jenka and the ones under her: Dimo and his group, Okent and his, Merdic and his, and a few others.

Jenka and Dimo’s group were the ones she spent the most time with. Jenka seemed to search her out no matter where she was every few months or so to check-in and share information and sometimes supplies. Other than a very brief "Oh, your better" and "Jah, Hy am." They didn't talk about what had happened. Zeetha rather expected Jenka was embarrassed about it. Nonetheless, the attention sometimes made Zeetha feel like she had joined in with the Wild Jäger with the way she was treated.

Sometimes she wondered if that _was_ what happened as she considered the look of every Jäger who saw her emblem for the first time. She was pretty sure it meant more than she knew but held her tongue. She had her secrets and they had theirs.

Dimo and his group were somewhat an accident. They had been going the same way and it was safer in groups as much as Zeetha enjoyed the challenged. They had spent several small trips through the wastelands. A month here—two months there. She knew them pretty well now and couldn’t help but be fond of them.

They were also the only group who knew the story. Oggie had asked one night about how she had gotten Mamma’s protection and as Maxim wrestled him into a headlock she had told them a bit of her story. Both of helping Jenka and of how she was looking for her home.

They had all gone quiet then over the thought of lost homes—before Oggie had taken his revenge and the silence and moment was lost.

Even so, they had bonded that night, and Zeetha couldn’t help but feel relief from them and the others. Her mind wasn’t kind but they made it easier to get through it instead of harder. They believed her story without hesitation like Mamma had and they could understand as well.

It was nice.

She ran into the circus once or twice in that time—stayed for a week or two hanging out with Olga and Yeti and sometimes Embi and the Master and Countess who always demanded she sit down and let her check her over and Zeetha always let her fondly. Now that she was away from the circus she could find herself fonder. It was nice not to have to deal with Oscur’s shit and be free to wander wherever she needed. Distance made everything easier to swallow.

Even if it did mean she had to pay to watch the shows and buy the stand food. Master Payne had his rules and stuck to them. She always made sure she had a little coin on her just in case. It was worth it.

“She’s gunna keel us, hyu know” Maxim mumbled through a pout.

“Hy knows, hy knows,” Oggie muttered.

“Ho. Ve should get off zo eazy,” Dimo snorted.

“You know, I used to think you three were smarter than you looked,” a voice mused.

The three brightened and glanced up to find Zeetha in travel-stained glory standing in front of them, badly hiding a grin. “So much for that.”

“Are hyu goink to free us?” Oggie asked in what could be considered a whisper if it had been several decibels lower. Dimo elbowed him hard as a few residents glanced over warily. They swung like a Newton’s Cradle and Zeetha bit her tongue to avoid snickering.

“I dunno, I’d think Jenka would get a kick out of this.”

The three deflated and put on their best kicked-puppy looks. “Hyur mean,” Oggie grumbled.

“And _you_ willingly let yourselves be hanged, I think you’ll survive,” Zeetha snarked back.

“Zeetha?” Zeetha blinked and turned to find Lars staring at her.

“Lars?” Quickly her mind calculated the date, it’s been a month or so since she’d last been in anything that could be considered civilization—“Oh, I guess this is around the time we came here last time. They just behind you then?”

“Yeah… a few hours out… are you talking with _Jägers_?”

Zeetha glanced over at them from over her shoulder, they shrugged sheepishly. “I’m making fun of them?” she replied. “Wouldn’t you, they apparently hung themselves thinking it was part of the game hangman.”

Lars stared at her. “You’re weird,” he decided slowly.

Zeetha shrugged at him. “Like you didn’t think that before?”

Lars quieted and looked uncertain. He glanced around and spotting a spot near some barrels tried to pull Zeetha to them. Zeetha stood her ground and raised an eyebrow.

“Ugh, come here, _please,_ there is something I want to tell you.”

Appeased Zeetha followed him into the shade of the alley. “What?”

“We had a confrontation in the wastelands.”

One always had a confrontation is the wastelands—if you didn’t then that was unusual. Still, it was so normalized that Zeetha couldn’t help the twist in her chest as Lars mentioned it anyway.

“Olga lost one of her legs,” he started with. Zeetha inhaled sharply through her teeth and cursed not being there to help. “Helga—the woman we hired to replace you… she died.”

The twist worsened. She had met Helga twice and had liked her if found her a bit naïve for her age.

“But um… the real thing is… just before we picked up someone… fleeing from the Empire,” Lars mumbled. Zeetha felt her eyes narrow.

“Is she what caused it?” she hissed.

“What no!” Lars said to loud. “Aga—um I mean ‘Helga’ is an amazing woman and saved us all and um…” he blushed and Zeetha raised an eyebrow. “Everyone in the circus would back me up. She saved our lives—Especially Olga’s.”

At that Zeetha slumped. “Alright, and?”

“We need to help her keep her cover—since you knew Helga I wanted you to know—though she’s playing at Helga having found a new calling at life and learning how to be a fortune teller from Olga. You have to back her up.”

“Alright, Alright, I can do that.” Rubbing at the back of her head at the neck she considered the situation. Dimo and his group were wild Jäger and not Empire so there was no problem there though even if there had been they probably would have kept it secret if she asked… probably, there were limits to her friendship though exactly what those were she didn't know. She looked over and noticed them watching—Lars and her were nowhere near far enough to escape their hearing, especially Maxims. “What she look like?”

“A lot like Helga actually, red-blonde hair… um, curvy, though she needs glasses to read unlike her. She’ll be with Olga so she won’t be hard to spot.” He twisted and looked over at the large clock on the town hall. “I really should go—I need to try and convince the mayor to let us perform away from those guys.”

Zeetha snorted. “Good luck with that.”

He smiled weakly and left. Zeetha watched him go and then climbed to the roof. She wanted to see the circus coming.

It had been a while after all.

“YETI!” Zeetha yelled as she hopped from the roof. Yeti—without even blinking dropped the bag he was carrying and caught her swinging her around with a laugh. A squawk interrupted from his side but Zeetha ignored her for now. “I missed you, you big lump, how are you, still doing crazy time stuff with your head?”

“Good, and of course,” he smiled. “Have to bewilder Europa Sparks somehow.” The two grinned at that old inside joke.

Zeetha leaned back still clinging to Yeti’s torso and surveyed the people rushing around and getting things ready. Then she turned and looked over at the girl next to Yeti—who really did look a lot like Helga minus the muscle mass. “Hi, Helga.”

She squeaked again look horribly confused. “Hi…”

“This is Zeetha, remember,” Yeti jumped in. “She was an old guard for us before we went our separate ways. Sometimes she shows up again like a cat.”

Zeetha whacked him on the arm but smiled down at Agatha. “Don’t worry, Lars told me about your… change of interest.” She winked. “I approve.”

Agatha squeaked again but Zeetha ignored her and went back to Yeti with a frown. “I heard you got into some kind of trouble?”

“Nothing we can’t handle.”

“Really because I heard Helga had to save you.”

Yeti winced a little. “She did save us—Olga is fine, Zeetha, though you should go see her, she’s in our wagon.” Zeetha nodded and finally dropped down. With a wave towards Agatha, she headed off.

“What was that?” She heard from behind.

“Zeetha and Olga are very good friends,” Yeti explained.

“Wait, is she the one Olga was—”

Zeetha knocked on the door of the wagon and then barreled in.

“Hey did I say you could come in—learn some manners—Zeetha!”

Zeetha grinned through the pain of catching Olga rewrapping the stub of her leg. It was scared and red and swollen—of course, it had only been two months. Her smile fell.

“Oh, don’t you start.”

Zeetha blinked. Olga frowned at her and pulled a sock over her leg. “This is not your fault. It wouldn’t have been your fault if it happened a day after you left. It’s just something that happens in the wastelands—and anyway, if you had been there you might be where Helga is now fooling the Baron and honestly I really rather you weren’t personally.”

Zeetha smiled slightly or at least tried to. Olga sighed fondly and allowed herself to be pulled into a hug.

“I know you don’t work like that and you can’t just turn your feelings off,” Olga said into Zeetha’s collar. “But I really am okay—I just have a new tool to use in cons is all—and I already have five different prosthetics from Agatha. She’s as guilty as you are I swear and _she_ saved my life!”

Zeetha laughed a little. “So what you’re telling me is that I should carve you a peg leg?”

“If it would make you stop feeling guilty, go ahead. I’m sure pirate would be a good look on me.”

Zeetha laughed a little even as she grimaced at the term. “Sure. I’ll go looking for a good branch today—I have loads of time since Master Payne won’t let me help.”

“Don’t ever offer free labor,” Olga said in a piss poor impression of Master Payne’s voice. They both giggled and then Zeetha pulled back and helped her down to her bed.

“I should go see him and tell him I’m around if Lars hasn’t. See you later?”

“You better!”

Zeetha found him, as expected, freaking out over the hanging Jäger. She snickered and almost moved to rush after him as he stormed away but paused as she noticed something… off about them.

Danger oozed off them in waves. They had gone from goofs to predators. They were looking at something.

Or someone.

Zeetha followed their predatory gaze to the new girl chatting with Olga by her wagon. She watched for a long moment.

“Guess you’re going to be able to go home after all,” she murmured softly. Maxim’s ears twitched but otherwise they didn’t respond. Zeetha hadn’t expected them to.

Zeetha turned and walked back into the crowd. She’d talk with Master Payne later. He seemed busy.

Goddess, what an ass. Was she really upset that the Jäger were getting their miracle?

She liked them after all. They deserved to go home.

It’s just…

Ugh it was stupid.

Whatever.

Zeetha kept herself busy after that. She picked out a branch and settled herself on the roof of the wagon she used to share with Olga and Yeti. As she carved she kept an eye on the square below, and at the gates to her side.

She would have cut the Jäger down eventually—come nightfall at least—if she hadn’t overheard their grumbling over Jenka’s anger. That alone told her that Jenka was set to meet them soon and in such, she felt totally justified in letting them hang for a bit longer.

The question was when she would show—and how. Bear or no bear. Jäger or human.

She was left alone for the most part. The people of the town likely thought she was just another circus member, and for the most part the members of the circus were used to her showing up and ignored her.

Most being the keyword.

“Oh, hey, it’s you.”

Zeetha paused in her carving, closed her eyes, and let out a long sigh. She debated if ignoring him would make him leave faster, or if would spite him on. “Oscur.”

“In the flesh,” she could guess he’d given a dramatic bow. Every time she had seen him he’d grown more and more dramatic as circus life took hold of him. No less annoying though. “What are you doing here—I thought you were ‘avoiding traveled ground’ or something like that. To find your: _Skifander_.”

She tsked and went back to her carving.

“Is that a peg leg? For Olga I take it? Don’t you know Helga fixed her up?”

Zeetha ignored him.

“We coulda used your help back there, you know,” he said, and honestly Zeetha didn’t think he was trying to do anything but make conversation, and yet her teeth grated at the reminder. “That thing was a beast. Thank god for—heh—Helga huh.”

In her annoyance, the knife slipped. She avoided cutting herself but the gorge it left was going to be near-impossible to salvage the peg leg from. She was better off starting fresh. Still, hours of work, wasted.

“Oscur! I thought you were supposed to be fetching the missing rope,” Olga snapped from below which forced Zeetha to actually look Oscur's way for a brief moment. She then had to take a second look. Olga was walking towards them, hands on her hips. With her dress and shoes, it was like… it was like she hadn’t ever lost a leg. She didn’t even have a limp.

The prosthetics she’d mentioned. The ones Agatha had made her.

She must be a very strong Spark to make something like that out here.

Zeetha looked back at the peg leg, feeling inadequate.

“Geeze, I am, I am,” he grumbled, stalking way. “I was just making conversation.”

“I’m sure you were,” Olga huffed and then turned to Zeetha with a grin. “I see some things never change—you do know you _can_ go _in_ the wagon, right?”

Zeetha managed a smile and dropped down. “It’s not my wagon anymore,” she reminded with amusement. “Plus I like the view. And thinking about never changing, look at you.”

She grinned again. “I know, it’s like it was never gone. I mean, I can’t feel anything but it responds to my nerves just like my leg did. Of course, I have others in case I want to play up the disability part of it more, but for today I think this is good.”

“She really is super strong, isn’t she,” Zeetha mumbled, her voice going lower.

Olga nodded. “More… more than you know. Stronger than I think Master Payne is fully comfortable with but there isn’t much we can do about that anymore. It doesn’t help that she… broke… recently. She still has all the extra… urges.”

Zeetha nodded. “Maybe I should come with you—until she’s gone. I can only assume she’s not staying.”

Olga nodded. “Yeah, we're getting her to Mechanicsburg, though the longer we go the more I think the circus will miss her.”

Mechanicsburg. That made sense. Maybe she really should go. It would be nice to see Mamma again, and she was curious about what would happen now that the boys had their Heterodyne again.

Another pain hit her and she closed her eyes and willed it to shut up.

“But are you sure, I’m sure Master Payne would love to have you back… especially with Helga… well her new interests. But what about Skifander?”

Zeetha shrugged. “I’ve pretty much looked everywhere on this side of the wastelands by now,” she admitted. “I could use a bit of a break, plus maybe I should head west—Paris or England maybe? I’ve been thinking about it.”

Olga nodded. “That’s probably a good idea though…” her voice softened. “How are you, really?”

Zeetha smiled again, warmth blossoming through her. “I’m okay Olga. I… know how bad I was when I left but… honestly…” she couldn’t tell her about the Jäger and their friendship, how they helped her keep sane. “I don’t think the circus was good for me. Don’t get me wrong, you and Yeti are great but…”

“Yeah, no I see it, they’re a bunch of assholes,” Olga huffed and Zeetha grinned again.

“No matter, I’m fine now.”

Olga grumbled some more but rolled her eyes. “If you say so, but yes, I would be more than happy to have you back for a while. If you’re willing to share with Yeti again, you can share our wagon.

Zeetha grinned wolfly. “I don’t mind in the least.” She winked.

Olga snorted. “Just remember— _I_ sleep in there too—okay?”

Zeetha laughed.

The play was fun. Agatha was a good actress and it was nice to see Pix had finally gotten a chance to play the role she’d always wanted to play. She snacked on her popcorn and occasionally, when the crowd was particularly entranced, flicked one towards the hanging Jäger. She’d already gotten Maxim and Oggie kicking each other trying to swing to the next piece, and poor Dimo was stuck to suffer the idiots.

She had noticed something a bit odd though. Othar was here—which in itself wasn’t odd at all. He was as close to a regular as you could get with a traveling show—but who he _was_ watching was.

Agatha.

And that was concerning.

Othar was a “Gentleman’s Adventure” as he so proudly proclaimed after shows, when he settled himself down by the fire or bar and told of his feats. Enough so that occasionally they had thrown his character into small one scene skit plays they sometimes did during the day in bigger cities. It generally brought a crowd and pleased his ego greatly.

Zeetha also thought he was a bit of a nutjob. Obviously he was pretty good if he managed to wander the Wastelands alone, but somehow she had the feeling there was more to it than that.

And either way, him being so focused on Agatha worried her.

He was very against the Empire, as he proclaimed the Baron his rival whenever he got the chance, so the idea he could have been sent to bring her back seemed… unlikely. And yet… why else would he be interested.

Zeetha shared an eye with Dimo. His annoyed ones caught her but at the seriousness in them he frowned and followed her nod to the man. After a long look he shrugged.

So they had no idea either.

Well, okay. She could work with that.

“Nice show, Helga,” Zeetha said just as Agatha stepped off stage. Agatha blinked at her in mild surprise, but then smiled sheepishly.

“Thank you. It was my first one so I was nervous.”

Zeetha let out a low whistle. “First time, huh, then you did great. _Very_ convincing Madgirl.”

Agatha gave her a look and Zeetha grinned wider. She could tell the exact moment that Agatha’s noticed her fangs from the way her eyes widened. She always found that funny. She waved for Agatha to follow her. With luck she would get her into Olga’s wagon without trouble.

“We haven’t really gotten time to… get to know each other,” Agatha said and Zeetha gave her credit. She regained her composure fast. “You… know who I am.”

Zeetha nodded, beginning to lead her from the crowd. “That I do.”

“And your Zeetha right, Olga told me a bit about you.”

Zeetha threw a smirk over her shoulder. “Whatever she told you I did— _she_ did.”

“No, no, it was good I promise.” Agatha smiled back at her. Zeetha shook her head and turned back forward, looking for Othar. They were next to the Jager now, almost to the wagons. “She said you were from Skifander, right. The Warrior Queen’s Hidden Jewel. Guardian of the Red Mountain.”

Zeetha froze, her eyes going wide.

She had never told Olga Skifander’s motto.

“Zeetha, are you okay—”

“There you are, Madam Helga!”

“Oh…Othar…”

“You are a sayer of sooths and teller of fortunes, or so I am told.”

“Y-yes?”

“Wonderful! I would love a fortune! Now, if you please!”

Zeetha watched as Agatha was dragged off by the man in yellow, her heart pounding in her ears, Agatha’s voice repeating over and over “The Warrior Queen’s Hidden Jewel. Guardian of the Red Mountain.”

“Guess you’re going to get to go home to?” Dimo suggested from behind. Zeetha swallowed and nodded slowly.

And then she realized who had just stolen Agatha from her.

She cursed and followed after.

Olga’s tent had special sparky soundproofing to ease the minds of people who came in for advice. It worked great—except for where it purposefully didn’t, and Zeetha came upon the small flap she knew existed and carefully pulled it up.

“I don’t. Not from my real partners!”

“Oh, so these performers know who you are?”

There was a long silence, and then a quiet, “no.”

Zeetha sighed. So far at least things seemed to be okay. Nonetheless she pulled out her sword.

Agatha sighed as well, long and hard. “Look. I’m only going to explain this to you once. The Wulfenbach’s think I’m dead. That’s a good thing. I can’t survive as a Heterodyne. I can’t even survive as a Spark. So I won’t. I’m done with all that. Finished. So I won’t go adventuring with you.”

Wait… was that what this was about? Othar had once tried to convince Zeetha to adventuring with him before, but even before she had stopped laughing he had changed his mind. Something about being too high willed or whatever nonsense it was.

A crash and scream had Zeetha spinning on her heel and dashing round the tent her swords in hand. She paused quickly though, watching as Jenka crashed into the square on Fust—who unfortunately seemed to have taken several arrows. Actually both of them had, as Zeetha could see a few arrows sticking out from Jenka’s back.

Zeetha lowered her swords with a long sigh. Sometimes Jenka could be just as bad as her brothers.

“I only vish to—” She heard Jenka yell at the same time as Agatha stumbled out of her tent, a large ray gun in her hands. Agatha gasped and aimed her gun. “Ugh! Hy em rapidly loozink my patience!”

Zeetha pushed it down just as Agatha fired and then winced as the ground under them exploded. Both of them went flying back into the tent and Zeetha grimaced. That was a stupidly powerful ray gun.

“What was that for!”

“No one is dead,” Zeetha snapped shaking her head and trying in vain to stop the ringing in her ears. Hopefully, that wasn’t permanent “She’s destroying their weapons, battering them around but despite taking arrows and being attacked she hasn’t hurt anyone too badly. She just wants the three idiots.”

Agatha went quiet.

“Haha! Another fiend for the gallows!” Othar yelled from behind them and with a swing of a rope—Zeetha was still a bit to dazed to have a clue where it was hanging from, he jumped into the fray. She grimaced. Jenka was not having a good night.

Oh well, Jenka should have known better than to come in as a Jäger instead of a human.

Glancing back Zeetha’s realized Agatha was already on the move, dashing to the left towards the gallows. Curious, Zeetha pushed herself up onto her feet and followed.

“Someone… another Jäger—is attacking the town,” she heard her demand as she walked up behind her. “The guards are planning on shooting you, all of you. If I cut you down you get her out of here while you escape.

“Oh, yes.” Maxim purred.

“And you’ll not touch anyone else in town,” she continued voice firm.

“Oggie smiled lazily. “Oh, ov cawze.”

Agatha bristled. “Swear on it… all of you swear on it. Swear on you loyalty to house Heterodyne.”

Zeetha could see the three idiot’s eyes go wide and then they grinned honestly. She rolled her eyes. Such drama kings.

“Good vun!”

“Schmot gurl!”

“Ve do svear, Mistress,” Dimo promised.

Agatha grabbed the stool that presumably had been used to hang them in the first place and with a knife from her boot released them one by one.

“I better be right about you,” she grumbled under her breath.

“To late for that, Mistress,” Dimo grinned, and with a wink at Zeetha the trio rushed off towards the fighting.

Agatha groaned head in hand and turned. She froze.

“’Sup.”

“Y-you…” She looked panicked. Zeetha rolled her eyes,

“It’s not like it’s that private right here,” she pointed out, pulling at her earlobe. It wasn’t ringing as bad but still buzzed, annoying. “Though I don’t think anyone else saw.”

Agatha was still frozen. In the light of the fire Zeetha could see she had gone pale. She rolled her eyes.

“Relax.” She pulled out the coin and held it up between two fingers. She doubted Agatha knew what she was looking at but she figured she had to know what the symbol of the Jäger was at least. “If you hadn’t cut them down I would have. It’s best for everyone that way—except maybe the mayor and his bet.”

The panic on her face calmed slightly, but suspicion continued. “You’re a Jäger?”

Zeetha snorted. “No. I have green hair, yes, but I’m no Jäger… we are just… allies a bit. Don’t worry. The boyz will get her out and no one is going to die,” she looked over her shoulder. “See they are already fleeing.”

Agatha looked over as well to see only a flash of color as the boys followed Jenka around a corner.

“Oh…” was all she said.

Zeetha turned back to Agatha. "So… about the whole Skifander thing—”

Jenka was alone in the woods a few kilometers outside of Zum Zum.

And then she wasn’t

“If you were going to try diplomacy why did you come in as a Jäger on a frigging giant bear,” Zeetha mused suddenly at Jenka’s side. To no surprise Jenka didn’t start, just scowled.

“Hy vas takink precaution,” she mumbled and it was dark enough to make it difficult to tell, but Zeetha was pretty sure she was blushing behind her scarf. “In case dere vas trouble or de boys vere dyink.”

“Sure,” Zeetha allowed shaking her head and petting Fust who snuffed at her hair and let out a whine. “Poor baby—did Mamma get you all shot up again.”

“Shot up it vas necessary,” Jenka pouted.

“How about you—need any bandages?”

Jenka snorted. “Hy’m fine. Hy vear more armor now und dese had no yucky poisons on dem.” She tilted her head. “De boys are coming.”

“They are—sound like a Great Elk walking through—idiots.”

“Hy’m goink to kill dem,” Jenka muttered darkly.

“You may want to listen to what they have to say first,” Zeetha suggested. Jenka looked over at her and considered. Zeetha had seen their piss poor show in town so she knew Jenka already suspected. She nodded.

“ _Den_ Hy vill kill dem.

Zeetha laughed.

“Hey, Master Payne!”

Master Payne blinked and turned to find Zeetha grinning up at him with a mostly innocent expression. He raised an eyebrow.

“Yes?”

“Any chance you need a new guard?”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm actually really happy with this story. I think my wit is for once actually funny, and Zeetha's relationships: The boyz, Jenka, Olga, Yeti, even Lars feels really fun to me, I don't know XD
> 
> I'm thinking of at least one more for this series, one where Higgs comes in and may or may not be jealous that Zeetha wears Mamma's Emblem and not his XD.


End file.
